OHP teams up with other agencies for “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign

August 16, 2013

If you drink and drive in Oklahoma, beware: The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is joining with law enforcement agencies across the state and throughout the nation for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign Aug. 16 through Sept. 2.

Law enforcement officers will be aggressively looking for impaired drivers, arresting anyone who is caught driving while impaired.

“On average there is one alcohol impaired driving-related fatality every 53 minutes across the country,” said OHP Lt. Garrett Vowell, statewide impaired driving enforcement coordinator. “This tragic loss of life can be prevented if we get impaired drivers off our roadways.”

It is illegal in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. Despite these laws, in 2011 nearly 10,000 people died in U.S. crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was impaired.

“If you plan to drink, always designate a non-drinking driver,” Vowell said. “Drunk driving is a crime, not an accident.”

In Oklahoma in 2012, four people died in vehicle crashes over the Labor Day weekend. Two of the fatalities occurred in alcohol-related crashes; an additional 17 people were injured in alcohol-related crashes.